1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to remote-controlled electronic equipment with a transmitting function, which is used for a network system in which electronic equipment, for example, audio-visual (AV) equipment such as television receivers, video cassette recorders, compact disk players, and the like, can be remotely controlled by the use of only one remote-control signal transmitter.
2. Description of the prior art
FIGS. 4a and 4b show a conventional remote-control system for AV equipment, which comprises an exclusive remote-control signal transmitter corresponding to each piece of the AV equipment and a remote-control signal receiving section which is contained in each piece of the AV equipment to receive a remote-control signal from the remote-control signal transmitter. In FIG. 4a, a remote-control signal transmitter 31 is used exclusively for a television receiver (TV) 33. A remote-control signal which is transmitted by the operation of this remote-control signal transmitter 31 to control a TV 33 is received by a remote-control signal receiving section 32. Thereafter, the remote-control signal is decoded, and the TV 33 is controlled in accordance with the command information included in this remote-control signal. FIG. 4b shows the case of a video cassette recorder (VCR). In the same manner as in the case of a TV shown in FIG. 4a, a remote-control signal transmitter 34 is used exclusively for a VCR and a remote-control signal receiving section 35 contained in a VCR 36 is used exclusively for this remote-control signal transmitter, thereby allowing the VCR 36 to be remotely controlled.
Thus, the conventional remote-control system has inherent disadvantages in that remote control cannot be achieved unless a remote-control signal transmitter and a remote-control signal receiving section, both of which are exclusive for the respective pieces of AV equipment, must be provided as a pair.